DENVER -- The Pioneers are set for a pair of matches this week at North Dakota on Thursday at 6 p.m. MT, followed by a trip to Fargo to take on NDSU at 10 a.m. MT on Saturday.
Denver is 13-0 all-time against North Dakota, including a 3-1 win in their last meeting on November 9, 2024 in Hamilton. DU owns a 20-7 record against the Bison and won their most recent matchup, 3-1, on November 24, 2024 in the Summit League Quarterfinal match.
THE LAST TIME OUT
• The Pioneers went 1-1 last week against SDSU and South Dakota •
Ava Reynolds recorded a career-high 20 kills against the Jacks.
SCOUTING REPORT: NORTH DAKOTA
• North Dakota started the season 4-11 with nonconference wins over Idaho and UT Martin, as well as battling to a five-set loss against West Virginia.
•The Fighting Hawks were picked to finish seventh in the Summit League and Paige Barber and Sadie White were named players to watch.
• Barber is fourth in the league, contributing 3.80 kills per set and White is ranked fourth in the Summit League, averaging 7.79 assists per set.
SCOUTING REPORT: NDSU
•North Dakota State was selected to finish sixth in the Summit League Preseason poll and Ally Barth and Lauren Jansen were named players to watch.
• The Bison went 6-4 in their nonconference slate including wins over Idaho, Kent State and Temple.
• Jansen ranks fi fth in the Summit League, averaging 3.38 kills/set
STARTING STRONG
• The Pioneers' 8-3 nonconference record is the best start to a season under third year head coach Megan Pendergast.
• Denver earned their first SEC win in 17 years and first P4 win under Pendergast on 9/13/25 with a 3-2 win over Arkansas.
• DU closed out its nonconference season with a perfect 3-0 weekend at the Into the Blue Invitational with wins over Air Force, Utah Tech and Northern Colorado.
THE PENDERGAST ERA
•The Pioneers earned their first SEC win in 17 years and first P4 win under Pendergast on 9/13/25 with a 3-2 win over Arkansas.
•Three Pios earned All-Summit League honors in 2024:
Cassie Davis,
Molly Mirabelli and All-Freshman selection
Jamia Johnson.
• In her first season at the helm, Pendergast led the Pioneers to a 12-4 record in conference play, earning a share of the Summit League regular season title, the first since 2020.
•DU was a perfect 9-0 in Hamilton Gymnasium, Denver's first perfect record at home since the 2015 season (18-0).
• Megan Pendergast was named the eighth head coach of the DU Volleyball program on June 12, 2023.
• Spent eight seasons as an assistant coach with UCLA (3), Oklahoma (1) and Tulsa (4).
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